Bring a famous author into your classroom and help pupils write compelling non-fiction that informs and engages.
In this episode of Author in Your Classroom, Professor Robert Winston (scientist, broadcaster and author of Inventors: Incredible Stories of the World’s Most Ingenious Inventions) shares how to make non-fiction writing exciting and accessible. Pupils will learn how to research effectively, organise information and use storytelling techniques, quirky facts and precise language to hold the reader’s attention.
This teaching sequence supports pupils in creating clear, engaging non-fiction pages while keeping their audience in mind. Short extracts from the podcast are suggested to illustrate key ideas, but listening isn’t essential.
Resource pack contents
This free classroom pack supports a full non-fiction writing unit and includes:
- Ready-to-use PowerPoint
- Extract from Inventors: Incredible Stories of the World’s Most Ingenious Inventions
- Planning sheets for research, structure and language
- Working wall image library for inspiration
- Themed writing sheets for drafting and final versions
Teaching overview
Across four sessions, pupils will:
- Choose a topic – Explore ideas and find a “hook” to engage readers. Pupils decide what interests them and consider the best way to communicate it.
- Research the topic – Collect and organise information, using books, online sources or interviews. Pupils think about how to present their findings clearly and effectively.
- Tell stories in non-fiction – Learn how to structure non-fiction like a story, including quirky or memorable facts, short paragraphs, clear sentences and annotated diagrams. Pupils practise turning research into an engaging narrative.
- Write their pages – Apply techniques to draft, edit and present their non-fiction pages. Pupils focus on clear, authoritative and reader-friendly writing, ready for display or compilation into a class book.
The unit also includes guidance for extending pupils’ non-fiction writing and encouraging them to explore further topics independently.
How to listen
Search for Author In Your Classroom wherever you get your podcasts. A free resources pack is available with every episode.
Subscribe to hear more brilliant children’s authors share insider tips that help pupils write with confidence, purpose and flair.
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